Method oe variegating wood



UTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOEL GOWEE, J R., OF KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

METHOD OF VARIEGATING WOOD.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,784, dated February 1, 1859.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL Cowen, Jr., of Keene, in the county of Cheshire and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Method of Giving a Variegated Appearance to the Surface of Timber; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l, represents a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus which I use for preparing the timber. Fig. 2, is a planer top view of the same. Fig. 8, represents the surface of different kinds of timber after it has been treated according to my method.

Similar letters of reference in the three figures indicate corresponding parts.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and use my method, I will proceed to describe it.

A frame A, made of wood or other material, but sufliciently strongl for the work, ta'ms the bearings for a fluted roller B, which is rotated by means of gear wheels C, I), and by a pulley E, or by any other means, with a speed which depends upon the hardness of the timber and upon the larger or smaller intervals between the consecutive projections of the iiuted roller.

On the top of the frame A, are two standards F. a certain distance from the bearings of the fluted roller B, which form the bean ings for the pendulous lever' G, which is lever has two arms which are connected by a cross piece Z1, and between these two arms l a plain roller H, is arranged on an arbor c, and in such a position that it is situated right over the liuted roller B. The front end of the lever Gr, is guided by two other standards I, and a pin d, which connects the two standards, prevents the' lever G,

from being depressed too low, sothat the roller H, would come in Contact with the fiuted roller B. Both these rollers ought to be made of iron or some other material, harder than wood, so that they are able to make indentations on the surface of the timber without being injured or altered in their appearance.

The operation is as follows: The timber which is to have avariegated appearance on its surface, is placed between the two rollers H, and B, that side which is intended to be variegated, down toward the fluted roller, and in such a direction that the sides of the rollers are at right angles or nearly so with the fibers of the wood, and motion is given to the wheels, and sufficient weight applied to the end of the lever G, so that the projections of the roller B, leave depressions or indentations on the surface of the timber. It is obvious that those parts which have been depressed, must become more compact than the other parts of the timber which have been left untouched by the fluted roller, and this difference in the hardness of the timber is not only immediately on the surface, but it extends down to a certain degree, so that the surface may be planed smooth, and still show a variegat'ed appearance, as represented in Fig. 3, as the harder parts assume a different color from the softer ones.

I do not claim, broadly, the condensation of the fibers of the wood for purposes of ornamentation; but

I-Iaving described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

The employment of rollers B, H, in the manner substantially as described, for the purpose of variegating wood, all as set forth.

JOEL COVVEE, Jn.

IVitnesses CALVIN MAY, Jr. EDWARD FARRAR. 

